With God

It is the morning of June 2, 1987. Ernesto with some of us is walking along the stretch of road that leads from Savigliano to Saluzzo. «I hear a cry of joy behind me, a nun with clogs chases me: she is Sister Elvira, a woman of faith who founded a community for the recovery of drug addicts. Joy gives wings to your feet, and for a long stretch the pilgrimage of hope and solidarity that Sermig has made for years along the streets of Italy becomes a celebration. With Sister Elvira, a friendship prepared for us from eternity is strengthened. Being close to her heartens me, because I think of the enormous work that she has taken on for years, but also of the joy that certainly fills the heart of this most humble and precious servant of God."

This "stage", this moment of friendship with mother Elvira, the founder of the Cenacolo Community, was then repeated over the years with visits to the Arsenal of Peace. In one of these, she opened her heart to us. «They always ask me: in working with young people, you focus a lot on the dimension of spirituality. Why did you make this choice? I reply that he was born from a concrete experience, mine. I was a lost, fearful, shy, even ashamed girl because my dad had a habit of drinking and I hid when, for this reason, my friends made fun of me. Then when I was lucky enough to receive a particular call, I slowly changed. Now I appreciate my poverty, my many brothers, my hunger. All the things people make fun of. People think that poverty is misery, but poverty is freedom. Now I understand it: the less things you have, the more you can do everything with your life, but if you have a lot of things, you stop at things.

I felt truly transformed inside myself, everything turned into a positive experience. Everything I was ashamed of became a grace. Dignity is not in the things you have, greatness is within you, not in designer clothes. When you understand this, a space opens up to you, a world that never ends. Especially when you are young, you need space, infinity, blue, beautiful. I found it in prayer. When the Lord passed near me once again, and he invited me to say this second yes for the young people lost in the street, I would have been a thief if I had not proposed to them what did me good. So much psychoanalysis is not enough, because their hearts are wounded. There are profound mysteries in the heart of man, each one has his own. Only the Lord knows and has the medicine for each of us".


By the editorial staff
NP August / September 2023